tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15923070942362062812017-09-26T22:16:25.302+01:00Vraie fictionBlogue d'un québécois expatrié en Angleterre. Comme toute forme d'autobiographie est constituée d'une large part de fiction, j'ai décidé de nommer le blogue Vraie Fiction.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.comBlogger6405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-55895376357815355512017-09-26T22:16:00.000+01:002017-09-26T22:16:25.491+01:00Familiar spirits<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6DtmX_dEqxA/Wcq_ZLHscvI/AAAAAAAANSo/dLqCgVpl6RYH9sbYBDLTzNHHSG0TZlTbgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6DtmX_dEqxA/Wcq_ZLHscvI/AAAAAAAANSo/dLqCgVpl6RYH9sbYBDLTzNHHSG0TZlTbgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3386.JPG" width="320" /></a>As I am already in a Halloween mood, I have started reading horror stories. Among my reads is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_a_Glass_Darkly"><i>In a Glass Darkly</i></a>, the classic collection of short stories from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheridan_Le_Fanu">Sheridan le Fanu</a>, an author I had long wanted to revisit. One of the stories, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_a_Glass_Darkly#.22The_Familiar.22"><i>The Familiar</i></a>, I had wanted to read since my teenage, when I had borrowed a book from the library that included the story, but had to return it before I could start it. I was suspecting that the familiar from the title was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familiar_spirit">familiar spirit</a>, the supernatural entity that helps witches do their evil deeds. It turned out that it was the ghost of the story, which at some point may or may not have taken the guise of an owl that was the pet of the fiancée of the protagonist. Maybe the owl was a familiar after all...<br /><br />In any case, familiar spirits would make for great antagonists in horror stories. They have not been used much, from what I know (i.e. I have not seen them in anything I can think of, except this vague implication in Le Fanu's short story). Whether they are ghosts or demons, they represent a far more tangible menace as they have a physical form, they are not merely apparitions. There should be stories written about them, especially if they take the already ghostly and spooky form of an owl. Any ideas? You can write them in the comments below. Oh, and I took this picture in an owls sanctuary in <a href="https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/">Derbyshire</a>. I have no idea what kinds of owls they are, but they looks very sinister and could make very convincing familiar spirits.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-85735299113260290452017-09-26T21:48:00.001+01:002017-09-26T21:48:55.150+01:00Quand Jean Tremblay se fait répondreJe voulais bloguer sur le sujet, mais n'ai pas eu l'occasion jusqu'ici. enfin maintenant je prends le temps: <a href="http://www.journaldequebec.com/2017/09/22/djemila-benhabib-repond-a-jean-tremblay">Djemila Benhabib a répondu à Jean Tremblay</a> au sujet de la controverse de 2012, quand il l'avait stupidement attaquée pour les positions <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/le-mollah-du-saguenay.html">qu'elle avait sur le crucifix à l'Assemblée nationale et la laïcité</a>. Par stupidement, je veux dire, lâchement. J'ai écrit un mot sur Facebook à propos de la controverse et je le reproduis sur Vraie Fiction: "<i>Jean Tremblay est et a toujours été un petit bigot catholique raciste et sans envergure, un attardé qui a l'âge mental d'un servant de messe et qui ne connaît rien d'autre que son catéchisme. Les propos qu'il a prononcés sur Djemila Benhabib étaient profondément condamnables, ils le sont encore plus maintenant qu'il persiste et signe. Quel minable petit ignare. Et tout aussi minables sont ceux qui ont refusé de le condamner avec énergie à l'époque, Jean Charest en tête. Il a été petit, petit, petit</i>."Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-83082958785523575662017-09-24T12:29:00.001+01:002017-09-24T12:29:52.261+01:00Havana Cigars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_yrwQPSPns/WceUY7gF4ZI/AAAAAAAANSY/MTEad8bpAYUPdkd9q1rQHKK8Pv6AzhfOQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170918_202156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_yrwQPSPns/WceUY7gF4ZI/AAAAAAAANSY/MTEad8bpAYUPdkd9q1rQHKK8Pv6AzhfOQCLcBGAs/s320/20170918_202156.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>No, no I don't smoke, not cigars, nothing of the sort, although I do like <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/the-perfume-of-cigars.html">the smell of cigars</a>. And my father being an amateur of cigars, although he does not smoke them much if at all anymore, I have learned a thing or two about them. I know that Cuban cigars are allegedly the best and that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohiba_(cigar_brand)">Cohiba</a> is a cigar brand. So anyway, I saw this cigar case at the bar of the very fancy hotel where my parents and my brother <a href="http://bleuetfjord.blogspot.co.uk/">PJ</a> stayed the last two days of their time here. And apparently, the case is not merely for decoration: they offer an array of cigars on their menu. I wonder if my dad had some during his stay. Anyway, as I liked the old fashioned elegance of the case I took the picture and decided to share it here.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-7511991926216640212017-09-24T12:13:00.000+01:002017-09-24T12:13:18.812+01:00Stabat Mater de discorde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sJRb_I9Xzo/WceRz_5rq_I/AAAAAAAANSM/QlIPset0Pb0ZkPHBKlUmI5iPp_zeIyMPgCLcBGAs/s1600/stabat-mater-grands-ballets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sJRb_I9Xzo/WceRz_5rq_I/AAAAAAAANSM/QlIPset0Pb0ZkPHBKlUmI5iPp_zeIyMPgCLcBGAs/s400/stabat-mater-grands-ballets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Je déteste la censure. Encore plus quand elle censure l'art. Je déteste mille fois plus la censure quand elle se produit à Montréal, MA ville d'adoption, MON village. Apparemment, cette image publicitaire des Grands Ballets Canadiens <a href="http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1057189/stm-societe-de-transport-de-montreal-refuse-affiche-grands-ballets-stabat-mater?fromBeta=true">était trop choquante pour les yeux sensibles</a> des fonctionnaires du <a href="http://www.stm.info/fr">STM</a>. Je ne sais pas comment sera le ballet, mais cette image est magnifique. Et donc fuck le STM, je la partage sur Vraie Fiction.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-41111021356022018222017-09-23T12:36:00.001+01:002017-09-23T12:52:05.669+01:00Wolfie's socks<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1M4kEBgdmes/WcZK1NZP_yI/AAAAAAAANR8/kK_Yvu9rg8Y9yuVl8eZGp4dcHHXjFeghACLcBGAs/s1600/20170923_124055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1M4kEBgdmes/WcZK1NZP_yI/AAAAAAAANR8/kK_Yvu9rg8Y9yuVl8eZGp4dcHHXjFeghACLcBGAs/s320/20170923_124055.jpg" width="320" /></a>Yesterday, my wife was asked by a random woman where she had bought Wolfie's socks, as she wanted to get something like this for the birth of her friend's newborn baby daughter. My wife answered that they socks had been knitted by her mother-in-law. Learning, this, I was so proud of my mum. She takes her role of grandmother very seriously and also she wants to make sure that our little one keeps warm. So she knitted the confiest socks you can ever find for a baby. And she now intends to knit hats, so soon Wolfie will be well equipped in warm hats that will make many people here very jealous. And they will not be on sale either...Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-48443224407916733222017-09-23T12:21:00.002+01:002017-09-23T12:21:34.428+01:00Le temps de la chasse...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8vM2TGLTUc/WcZA2g2S4wI/AAAAAAAANRg/xCMEjzqNgy4vt7kBu2MDemsP6aSHLjOngCLcBGAs/s1600/0910161106-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8vM2TGLTUc/WcZA2g2S4wI/AAAAAAAANRg/xCMEjzqNgy4vt7kBu2MDemsP6aSHLjOngCLcBGAs/s400/0910161106-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Je ne sais pas si c'est exactement le bon moment pour son ouverture, mais qui dit automne dit aussi saison de la chasse. Un sport que je n'ai jamais pratiqué. Marié à une végétarienne, laquelle a un peu déteint sur moi, je trouve maintenant la chasse cruelle, voire ridicule. La photo du dessus, celle d'un camp pour mes oncles et mon père lors de la chasse aux cervidés (je crois), a l'air d'un camp de guerilla et est honnêtement que des adultes veuillent jouer avec des fusils à l'intérieur d'un truc comme ça... bien je trouve ça un brin immature. Cela dit, enfant, je n'avais qu'une vision romantique de la chasse et j'adorais "jouer" au chasseur. Comme les trains, c'est peut-être un peu ça qui attire les hommes adultes, quelque chose de leur enfance ancrée dans leur psychée qui n'arrive pas à vieillir. Parce que sinon qui voudrait passer des heures dans une affaire comme ça?Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-74457889890786635232017-09-22T18:23:00.000+01:002017-09-22T18:23:07.879+01:00Now it's undeniableNo matter how you look at it, today is the September equinox, so it is autumn. For me it starts with the month, but I know some people think it's summer until whenever. Well, summer's over, now it is autumn. Period. And I am glad we can finally all agree on it.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-78882765153201245652017-09-22T18:11:00.000+01:002017-09-22T18:11:12.411+01:00Parce que le 22 septembre...Plus personne ne pourra plus le nier, c'est l'automne, parce que nous sommes le 22 septembre, jour de l'équinoxe. Comme c'est la tradition sur Vraie Fiction, je mets ici <a href="http://www.analysebrassens.com/?page=texte&amp;id=87&amp;%23">cette chanson</a> de <a href="http://www.georges-brassens.fr/">Brassens</a>. C'est l'une de mes préférées, notamment pour sa mélancolie. Remarque comme ça: contrairement à la chanson je n'ai jamais vécu de rupture en automne, mais ça n'a pas d'importance, je crois que le sentiment vécu dans la chanson, le deuil suivi du dédain, on l'a tous eu un jour ou l'autre.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wGeiGw99flo" width="560"></iframe>Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-29049066829252295972017-09-21T18:32:00.000+01:002017-09-21T18:32:13.598+01:00Poltergeist?No, no, I am not talking about <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/">the movie</a> (one of the first horror movies I saw) but about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist">phenomenon</a>. Although it really reminded me of the movie. This anecdote could be part of my countdown to Halloween post. Anyway, yesterday morning, I was brushing my teeth upstairs before going to work, when I heard one of the noisy toys of Wolfie starting to play in the living room downstairs. There was nobody downstairs to trigger the darn thing. Thankfully my wife and son did not wake up and I turned off the toy. Now for the record, I do not believe for a second that there were ghosts or that the toy was turned on by any kind of supernatural or paranormal force, but nevertheless it reminded me of <i>Poltergeist</i>.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-82352672324968432052017-09-21T18:21:00.000+01:002017-09-21T18:21:11.267+01:00Premières brumes de l'automneOn a été vraiment chanceux jusqu'ici côté changement saisonnier: le mois de septembre a été on ne peut plus automnal, juste frais ce qu'il faut. Et hier matin, on a eu droit à une petite brume. Pas un brouillard, mais quand même, une brume légère ça se prend bien un matin de septembre. Enfant, ça me faisait un peu peur de me rendre à l'école le matin lorsqu'il y avait du brouillard. Je me rappelle d'un matin où mes amis et moi avions été terrifiés de devoir nous rendre à l'école à travers une vraie purée de pois. J'ai dû raconter cette anecdote souvent ici, mais c'est à ça que je pense à chaque fois qu'il y a de la brume ou du brouillard.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-81870930538416396292017-09-20T21:36:00.000+01:002017-09-20T21:36:07.517+01:00Accursed cold pandemicWell, it had to happen, I had been feeling too great about everything recently but here it is: I have a nasty cold. Which means I cough like there is no tomorrow. I hate it. Little Wolfie had it first, then gave it to me, to his mother, both his set of grandparents and of course, now I am the one suffering from it the most, as usual when I catch a cold. I really hate it.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-9886242587097371872017-09-20T21:21:00.000+01:002017-09-20T21:21:42.027+01:00Au pilori<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26DuQXCZcZc/WcLMjBXtIMI/AAAAAAAANRM/NGZIXGOYY_4M-SpL6HInHIdt-1-XXJx2wCLcBGAs/s1600/20170627_150916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26DuQXCZcZc/WcLMjBXtIMI/AAAAAAAANRM/NGZIXGOYY_4M-SpL6HInHIdt-1-XXJx2wCLcBGAs/s320/20170627_150916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Je ne sais pas ce qu'ils faisaient au <a href="http://www.cardiffcastle.com/">Cardiff Castle</a>, mais il y avait des <a href="http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/pilori/60931">piloris</a>. J'imagine que c'est un attrape-touriste comme un autre: on prend des photos de soi et des enfants comme si on était des condamnés au moyen âge. Je trouve ça un peu douteux. Et le médiéviste que je suis est agacé que l'on retienne souvent <i><b>ça</b></i> de l'époque. Mais bon, pilori est malgré tout le mot du jour sur Vraie Fiction aujourd'hui.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-5521781911868971592017-09-19T22:33:00.000+01:002017-09-19T22:34:01.040+01:00Liverpool Lime Street Station (a memory)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2ZHC4S84wc/WcGLwSQDIzI/AAAAAAAANQ8/ADmGH2yNn2MImB26YEiFWilwOPlHlcJCACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2ZHC4S84wc/WcGLwSQDIzI/AAAAAAAANQ8/ADmGH2yNn2MImB26YEiFWilwOPlHlcJCACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4719.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I took this picture at the <a href="http://www.nrm.org.uk/">National Railway Museum</a> of <a href="http://www.visityork.org/">York</a>. You might think it looks ugly, but I can assure you <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_Lime_Street_railway_station">the original</a> is much uglier. I took this photo not for its aesthetic value, or lack of, but because when I was working in <a href="https://www.visitliverpool.com/">Liverpool</a>, more than ten years ago, this was the station I was going to and from during my commute. Back in the days when I was still a teacher and an academic, this was therefore part of my daily life. We all form weird sorts of attachment regarding elements from a time in our life when we were fond of and this is one of them. Not that I am not happy now, in fact being a father makes me far happier than I ever was, but professionally speaking, my "Liverpool job" as I often call it has been the one I enjoyed the most in all my adult life. And this reminds me of that time.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-60996284398741322992017-09-19T22:24:00.000+01:002017-09-19T22:24:15.714+01:00Nouveau signe de l'Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liKhbGlSkes/WcGJ-Pzk6GI/AAAAAAAANQw/SgvvvNWdNCwPECybxqC95MDSNJzzzCqMgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170917_153505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liKhbGlSkes/WcGJ-Pzk6GI/AAAAAAAANQw/SgvvvNWdNCwPECybxqC95MDSNJzzzCqMgCLcBGAs/s320/20170917_153505.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Ce n'est pas une très bonne photo, mais regardez ce que j'ai vu à <a href="http://www.next.co.uk/">Next</a> en fin de semaine. N'allez pas me demander ce que des citrouilles en chocolat allaient faire dans un magasin de vêtements et d'articles de maison, mais c'est le second signe indubitable de l'arrivée de l'Halloween que j'ai vu dans tous les cas. J'en ai eu des frissons d'anticipation.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-85305800861459851212017-09-18T23:10:00.000+01:002017-09-18T23:10:12.873+01:00The virtues of afternoon napsI had to go back early from work today for a doctor's appointment (no worries, it was only for something minor and it is taken care of). As it was in the middle of the afternoon when I left and my day had been very quiet, it was not worth going back to work, so I stayed home for the rest of the day. Which means that I spent a good bit of time with little Wolfie, then I... napped! For more than an hour. Which I rarely do, even at weekends. As our baby boy wakes up often in the night and the night before had been particularly rough, it felt really great. I had forgotten how rejuvenating afternoon naps can be.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-44526294755982861542017-09-18T23:02:00.000+01:002017-09-18T23:02:06.248+01:00Fin de séjour...Nous sommes allés voir mes parents et <a href="http://bleuetfjord.blogspot.co.uk/">PJ</a> ce soir à leur hôtel. C'est leur avant-dernier jour en Angleterre. J'espère que nous pourrons les revoir demain. Bien entendu, c'est le petit-fils/neveu qui vole la vedette à chaque fois, étant à la fois adorable est espiègle. Il aime bien l'attention qu'on lui donne. Les fins de séjour en famille sont toujours un peu tristes, que l'on soit hôte ou invité et dès que ça commene à terminer on prépare déjà les prochaines vacances.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-52511511449512706612017-09-17T23:01:00.001+01:002017-09-17T23:01:13.274+01:00Sticky toffee pudding craze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Atpm9yYC-k/Wb7p1mVHt1I/AAAAAAAANQg/ruM6uWqQnEAWixfKCefLPOGt746TmsZXwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170910_154103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Atpm9yYC-k/Wb7p1mVHt1I/AAAAAAAANQg/ruM6uWqQnEAWixfKCefLPOGt746TmsZXwCLcBGAs/s320/20170910_154103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last Sunday, we went with my family to a local pub, which I mentioned <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/the-sunday-roast-experience.html">in this post</a>. For dessert, I had a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_toffee_pudding">sticky toffee pudding</a>, pictured here, a British classic. You can also have it with custard. My parents, who were already full from the roast and thus not having dessert, got really enthusiastic about it. They had a little bite and found it delicious. Of course they insisted that Wolfie should have a few bites and now he loves it (better check his sugar intakes when they're around). They are traveling in the <a href="http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/">Lake District</a> at the moment and I have now learned that they and my brother <a href="http://bleuetfjord.blogspot.co.uk/">PJ</a> had sticky toffee pudding again. And again. They literally turned into sticky toffee pudding aficionados.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-33977184770861436722017-09-17T17:58:00.000+01:002017-09-17T17:58:29.131+01:00À propos du papier peint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Hi-5bXgOVU/Wb6lDhDwqJI/AAAAAAAANQM/fiEDWYTfJBUENE9u4SnKAzUJrruD2t0SACLcBGAs/s1600/20170902_201811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Hi-5bXgOVU/Wb6lDhDwqJI/AAAAAAAANQM/fiEDWYTfJBUENE9u4SnKAzUJrruD2t0SACLcBGAs/s400/20170902_201811.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Je bloguais récemment sur notre anniversaire de mariage, que nous avons célébré à l'hôtel où nous avons fêté la noce. L'hôtel n'a guère changé en dix ans, elle a le même charme un un peu désuet dans les aires communes, même si les chambres sont très modernes et ne manquent de rien (sauf d'eau chaude dans la nôtre). Une des choses qui m'a frappé c'est qu'ils ont toujours le même papier peint à la réception, un vieux papier peint avec des genres de vases grecs antiques. Enfin, c'est l'effet qu'on essaie de créer je crois. Je déteste cordialement le papier peint, d'habitude je trouve ça laid, mais je ne sais pas pourquoi exactement, ça doit être la Grèce antique, mais celui-ci je l'aime bien. Peut-être aussi parce que c'est sans doute très vieux, enfin pour du papier peint. Ils le faisaient moins horribles à l'époque, peu importe de quelle époque il s'agit.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-90434054070718740182017-09-17T12:16:00.004+01:002017-09-17T12:16:56.968+01:00A frugal breakfast<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4U6KO8tVYo/Wb5XS3y4SqI/AAAAAAAANP8/t5JbjZP9-Zwws8AE_sV_X2bLH28rkjAaACLcBGAs/s1600/20170903_091325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4U6KO8tVYo/Wb5XS3y4SqI/AAAAAAAANP8/t5JbjZP9-Zwws8AE_sV_X2bLH28rkjAaACLcBGAs/s320/20170903_091325.jpg" width="192" /></a>Last week, my wife, little Wolfie and I went to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the hotel where we had the wedding reception ten years before, a very fancy hotel with a fancy restaurant to go with it. We had dinner there and then breakfast the next morning. And I had this for breakfast: scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. I thought it would be posh and different and fitting for the day. It was nice enough, I mean it tasted nice, but it was rather frugal. My wife said I could not have expected an all-you-can-eat from a Holiday Inn, but all the same it was unexpectedly frugal for the first meal of the day and the special circumstances. Ten years ago we ate plenty.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-91943088818839618072017-09-17T12:03:00.001+01:002017-09-17T12:04:06.549+01:00T'es du Saguenay quand...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uoBfGIWQtg0/Wb5VdbT11FI/AAAAAAAANPw/oR3teO9EX8gn72H5UOTePycbz6V7s_G-wCLcBGAs/s1600/TesduSaguenay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uoBfGIWQtg0/Wb5VdbT11FI/AAAAAAAANPw/oR3teO9EX8gn72H5UOTePycbz6V7s_G-wCLcBGAs/s320/TesduSaguenay.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>J'ai trouvé ce meme sur la page Facebook d'un ami. J'en avais partagé une version longue <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/tu-es-du-saguenay-quand.html">en 2011</a>. Celle-ci est aussi légèrement différente, cela dit je la lis et je la trouve toujours aussi drôle et pertinente. Ce genre de liste n'est en général pas très exact, mais je trouve beaucoup de vrai dans celle-ci. On voit qu'elle a été rédigée par quelqu'un de la place.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-74280077918163700752017-09-16T21:53:00.001+01:002017-09-20T21:33:07.725+01:00Excalibur (and find the three mistakes)<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WHaMf19e3Eo/Wb2K_f9-0hI/AAAAAAAANPg/ZZhIYlDPK2gYLaMwLhfgp66kBXB2uWvuQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170916_151509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WHaMf19e3Eo/Wb2K_f9-0hI/AAAAAAAANPg/ZZhIYlDPK2gYLaMwLhfgp66kBXB2uWvuQCLcBGAs/s320/20170916_151509.jpg" width="192" /></a>Today, we spent the afternoon at the local park in a yearly fayre. I had the chance to drink the September ale from <a href="http://www.rebellionbeer.co.uk/">Rebellion Beer</a>, called <a href="http://www.rebellionbeer.co.uk/beers/full-beer-range/rebellion-excalibur.aspx">Excalibur</a>, as every month this year they celebrate a great Briton. As a medievalist specialized in the Arthurian legend, I had to have a pint. Rebellion Beer brews some of my favourite ales, so it is another reason to have a pint of their products whenever I have the occasion. My verdict? Not bad for a blonde, but the label has three mistakes which I thought I listed here. But first try to spot them. Come on. Two are easy enough. Anyway, here they are:<br /><br />1)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur">King Arthur</a> was a child or a very young man, certainly not a mature man like in the image.<br />2)Obviously he was no king yet when he pulled the sword from the stone, so he had no crown.<br />3)The sword in the stone, contrary to popular beliefs, was not <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur">Excalibur</a>, which he obtained in different circumstances.<br /><br />All right, that was just a label to sell beer after all, but I thought it was a funny exercize for the medievalist that I am, or used to be.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-64789384173868005862017-09-16T21:17:00.000+01:002017-09-16T21:17:39.865+01:00Les blaireaux<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--nXpOY4WbmI/Wb19jGofSCI/AAAAAAAANPQ/wDPuoJuGjlcYUwrCoMcksfTtfGt_5pEUwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170628_154824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--nXpOY4WbmI/Wb19jGofSCI/AAAAAAAANPQ/wDPuoJuGjlcYUwrCoMcksfTtfGt_5pEUwCLcBGAs/s320/20170628_154824.jpg" width="320" /></a>Nouveau billet animalier. Préambule: j'ai pris cette photo au <a href="https://museum.wales/cardiff/">National Museum</a> de <a href="https://museum.wales/cardiff/">Cardiff</a>. Je n'ai jamais vu de <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaireau">blaireaux</a> vivants dans la nature, bien qu'ils soient supposément asez fréquents. Mais ils ont pas mal de classe je trouve, même empaillés comme ceux-ci. Plus que leur cousin le raton-laveur. Ce n'est pas mon animal sauvage préféré, mais je l'aime bien quand même.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-80059766055087916292017-09-15T23:25:00.001+01:002017-09-15T23:25:43.693+01:00Time to prepare for another birthdaySo little Wolfie's birthday <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/sharing-birthdays.html">is barely over</a> that it suddenly struck me that I must start preparing for the birthday of my wife, which is in about two month's time. You might think that this is not in a long while, but two months is very short, especially when I have little time alone to shop for presents, especially since my wife is difficult to shop for. Not that she is high maintenance or anything like this, it's just difficult to find the right presents for her, both original (so she will not expect them) and that she will enjoy. I usually start looking for them now.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-75593416963998061292017-09-15T22:34:00.002+01:002017-09-15T22:34:53.803+01:00Les bébés en une bédé<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3sx_UBZzbVM/WbxGAEn_xYI/AAAAAAAANPA/NR-Jr3ghc5AB4kNzpimM-8Rtv4vjNjHMACLcBGAs/s1600/BachBebeSommeil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="693" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3sx_UBZzbVM/WbxGAEn_xYI/AAAAAAAANPA/NR-Jr3ghc5AB4kNzpimM-8Rtv4vjNjHMACLcBGAs/s320/BachBebeSommeil.jpg" width="190" /></a>J'ai pris cette image de <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bachillustrations/">Bach Illustrations</a>. J'avais voulu la partager pour la fête de petit loup, parce que ça illustre bien une situation et un état d'esprit quotidien lorsqu'on est parent. Enfin, je ne sais pas si c'est le cas de tout le monde, mais c'est souvent comme je me sens, quand notre fils a mal dormi de la nuit et par conséquent ses parents aussi. Devenir parent amène une certaine fatigue et teste notre patience de bien des manières, surtout pour quelqu'un comme moi qui ne suis pas d'un naturel très patient. Et puis tout d'un coup on se rappelle que le vilain petit loup est adorable et on s'en veut de s'être remis en question. J'ai trouvé cette bande dessinée très touchante.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592307094236206281.post-64074966917019216372017-09-14T23:03:00.000+01:002017-09-14T23:13:51.812+01:00Autumn has arrived<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1zn_g9-kl7M/Wbr9_TN0uRI/AAAAAAAANOw/KroDMsTfeRESv4Y0LJUuZyRFeEoADnb0wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1zn_g9-kl7M/Wbr9_TN0uRI/AAAAAAAANOw/KroDMsTfeRESv4Y0LJUuZyRFeEoADnb0wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3442.JPG" width="320" /></a>This picture was taken in <a href="https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/">Derbyshire</a>. I use it with this post because it looks like it now outside: while the colours of autumn are not all quite here, you can feel in the air that the season has most definitely arrived. Last year <a href="https://vraiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/o-autumn-where-art-thou.html">almost day by day</a>, I was getting desperate to see signs of autumn on the hottest day of September on record. This year, it is far cooler outside. It feels like a proper September, like the ones of old. So I can safely say that autumn is here.Guillaumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.com0